Joint decision trap

The joint decision trap was identified by the political scientist, Fritz W. Scharpf in a 1988 scholarly article, Scharpf, Fritz W. (1988). 'The Joint-Decision Trap. Lessons From German Federalism and European Integration'. Public Administration, Vol. 66, No. 2. pp. 239–78.  It is understood to be a situation in which there is a tendency for government decisions to be taken at the lowest common denominator in situations where the decision-makers have the ability to veto the proposals. It is a common challenge for federal governments such as Germany and the European Union.